To say that the 1965-70 full-sized #Chevrolets were popular would be an extreme understatement - few cars have ever been produced in such numbers in so short a time. When coupled with the Buick/Olds/Pontiac versions, the ’65-’70 B-bodies are the fourth most produced automotive platform of all time behind the VW Beetle, Model T, and the Lada Riva, all with much longer production runs.
-#Chevy was at the heart of that production and the big Chevies could be ordered in a staggering array of configurations - Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala, and (starting as an option in 1965) Caprice. Created in response to Ford’s luxury-tinged 1965 LTD, the #Caprice became a full model in 1966, displacing the Impala (just as the Impala had earlier displaced the Bel Air) as Chevy’s top spec. AMC and Plymouth responded too, with the Ambassador DPL and Plymouth VIP; like the Caprice and LTD they were also intended as “luxury” mainstream cars. That was reflected in the Caprice Coupe’s squared-off roofline, upright and formal where the Impala was long and flowing.
-
Caprices were always marketed as luxury cars, but the original package of 1965 was heavily based on the Impala SS pieces and throughout these years, the #Caprice was very close to the Impala SS, and cannibalized some of its sales - already suffering after 1965 because of competition from intermediate muscle like the Chevelle. For $300-400 more, the Caprice came with more features and trim and a luxury image but also virtually all of the mechanical options of the Impala SS, and probably lower insurance rates.
-
In those days of a-la-carte options, it was possible to spec out a serious dreadnought Caprice, although most were mainstream cruisers. In 1969, 546 full-size Chevrolets were built with the special-order L72 427 V8 and it’s 425hp, including quite a few Caprices. Most, however, were more modest - the base Caprice used a 327 small block and a 350 was optional, but so were a trio of big-blocks - the L66 396 and a pair of more mild (than the L72) 427s at 335 and 390hp. This one is a 396, a smooth 265-hp 2-barrel boulevardier. This body got one more restyle in 1970 before giving way to the mammoth ’71 B-bodies.